Military or similar insignia.



C. L. SENIANS & E. C. HEILIGMAN.

MILITARY 0R SIMILAR INSIGNIA. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29.1918.

1,282A71 Patented Oct. 22, 1918;

CLARE L. SEMANS AND EDWARD C. HEILIGMAN, O'F DALLAS, TEXAS.

MILITARY OR SIMILAR, INSIGNIA.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that we, CLARE L. SEMANS lDClEDWARD C. HEILIGMA-N, citizensof the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas;andrState of Texas, have invented rcertain new and useful Improve mentsin Military or Similar Insignia, of whichthe following is aspecification.

Our invention has relation to an improvelnent in the manufacture ofmilitary or similar insignia and in such connection it relates moreparticularly to the arrangement and parts of the insignia.

Heretofore it has been customary to embroider on stiffened broadcloth orsimilar fabric and with metallic cloth or yarn the design of insigniadesired and such cloth so embroidered was thereafter, tightly drawnaround so as to inclose a rigid base and the cloth edges sewed together.The defects of such a structure, aside from the cost and labor involved,are many, the principal being that the cloth and embroidery rapidlydisintegrate under wear and tear and the design is easily tarnished andsoon obliterated, and destroyed.

li e have discovered that by forming the design in a plurality ofsections, each section being stamped or otherwise formed from a plate ofmetal, silver, gold, or the like and in assembling these sections on acloth covered, rigid, base in proper relationship and in then unitingthe plates to the base by prongs or fastening devices projecting fromsaid plates and traversing the cloth and the rigid base, an insigniawill result which has all the essential characteristics of the clothembroidered insignia, but is practically indestructible in use and wear.

By so forming the design of the insignia in separable sections we arealso enabled to form said plates with a suitable form of base, thosevariations of the design of the insignia which are desired by themilitary or naval authorities to indicate various grades of authority inthe line of service for which said insignia has been prescribed.

The nature and scope of our invention will be more fully understood fromthe following description taken in connection with the ac:

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1918.

Application filed we 29, 1918.. Serial No. 242,600.

companying drawings forming part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a frontview of an insignia embodyingthe main features of our invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4; is a front view of a variation in form of the insignia embodyingour invention, and

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the insignia.

In the drawings we have illustrated the insignia as one used todesignate an oflicer and an observer in the aviation corps of the Army.It is manifest, however, that our invention may be embodied in varyingdesigns of insignia for other branches of the service whether militaryor naval, the de sign being unimportant and not a limitation upon ourinvention.

Referring to the drawings, a rigid base 1 usually of brass or similarmetal, is inclosed in broadcloth or similar material 2, the cloth beingtightly drawn over the metal base and the edges being stitched togetheras at 3, Fig. 5, to fasten the cloth to the base.

The base 1 is provided at required points with slots or openings 4:.

The design of the insignia is formed of a plurality of plates the designof which as shown in the drawings are the two Wings 5 separated by ashield 6 to indicate an officer in the aviation section. Each plate 5 or6 is stamped or embossed as required and from the concave face of eachplate 5 or 6 project the prongs 7 designed to traverse the cloth 2 andthe slots or perforations 4, and to be bent back as at 8 (Fig. 2) downupon the rear face of the base 1 to lock or fasten the plates 5 and 6 tothe base and down upon the cloth covered face of said base.

When desirable, the rear face of the rigid base 1 may be provided with apin 9 and catch 10 to convert the insignia into a brooch like pin, orornament.

Where, as in Fig. 4:, the plates 5 and 6 are to be assembled to indicatethat the wearer is observer in the corps, one wing 5.. is

discarded, and the design is made up of the shield 6 and one Wing 5 t0the right of said shield. Of course under all conditions the rigid baseis shaped to correspond With the outline of the completed insignia, thebase 1 extending from Wing to Wing in Fig. 1 and from shield to Wing inFi L 4:.

To protect the prongs accidental detachment, the cover of cloth 2shouldbe so sewed to the base 1 as to cover the prongs.

Having thus described the nature and ob-' jects of our invention, WhatWe elaimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The improvement in the manufacture of insignia which consists infirst forming the design from a plurality of detachably arrangedmetallic plates, each plate being stamped or embossed With the designdeagainst Wear or sired, then forming the rigid base With a contourrequired by the design, then covering said base With cloth and finallyuniting the plates tothe base by fasteners traversing the cloth andunited to the rear face of said base. i

2. In an insignia, a series of embossed metal plates, a plurality ofprongs projecting from the rear concave face of each plate, a rigidbase-perforated to receive the prongs and a covering o f fabricinclosing the base,

' said covering adapted to be traversed by the prongs in the fasteningof said plates tosaid base. V p 7 In testimony whereof We have signedour names to this specification.

CLARE L. SEMANS.

EDWARD C. HEILIGMANQ' 7 Copies of this patent may be obtained for fivecents each, by addressing the fCommissioner of Patents 7 Washington, D.G. 1 V

